Unlock the secrets of your soil
If you’re trying to find out what kind of soil you have in your garden then you might have heard of the different soil textures - clay, sandy and silty. These are linked to the size of your soil particles and have a big effect on how water is retained (or not) in your soil, but they aren’t the only thing to consider. Another key characteristic of soil is it’s pH - aka how acidic or alkaline it is. If you’re getting school science flashbacks, don’t worry, working out what soil pH you have won’t require a chemistry degree.
Why does pH matter?
The pH of the soil affects how available different nutrients are and different plants thrive at different pHs. If you’ve spent years unsucessfully trying to get camellias to grow in your garden then your alkalline soil might be the problem - camellias are a classic ericaceous plant, meaning they need acidic soil. The plant profiles on the RHS website detail what pH each plant prefers acid, neutral or alkaline. Picking plants that suit your pH will increase the liklihood of them doing well, saving heartache and money down the line.
How to check soil pH
One quick way to get an idea of the pH in your immediate area can be looking at what is growing well - if all your neighbours are sucessfully growing rhododendrons in the ground then the soil is likely acidic. Hydrangea macrophylla are also a handy indicator of pH, the flowers will be pink in alkaline soil and blue in acid soil. To get a more accurate idea you can use a pH test. These tests can use liquid indicator, test strips, or you can get a digital probe, and they’re all available to buy online. Whichever you choose make sure to follow the instructions to get the most accurate results possible - you may need to take multiple soil samples from different places and to avoid areas that you know have been recently composted or had other materials introduced which may affect the results. Remember that you may have different pHs in different areas of your garden.
What if my soil is the wrong pH for the plants I want to grow?
There are things you can do to try and change the pH of your soil, like adding lime to make it more alkaline but I would generally err on the side of the old adage, right plant, right place. There are amazing plants that grow well at the different pH levels so try to choose plants that will naturally cope well with your soil. If you have an alkaline soil and want to grow acid loving plants then plants like blueberries and rhododendrons will do well in a container with eracaceous compost which you can buy at most nurseries and garden centres (remember to check compost is peat free).